Please Don't Cry
by nellenora the explorer
Summary: "I'd do anything to stop them. Anything at all. I just want her to be happy." A collection of super short chapters in Dio's POV throughout the game, with the pairing of Dio/the blonde girl with no eyes. As far as I'm aware it's the first of it's kind, more information in the first AN :)
1. Chapter 1

**Hallo, I'm nellen :)  
While I'm still yet to play Mad Father, I fell in love with the game watching Pewdiepie play it, and a few of the characters too ;)  
I know a lot of people ship Aya and Dio, so I suppose this it a bit different to the other stories on here in a way, as I've decided to include the eyeless blonde girl (who I've named Emelie, as I don't actually know her proper name, please do correct me if you know it though. I also always imagined Dio being called Jack, cause he looks a bit like a friend of mine and I always thought the name would suit him, however I have got his name right in this :))  
Anyhoo, I better cut this off now or it'll be longer than the chapter itself! Reviews are always appreciated ~nellen :) x**

* * *

**"**I promise, I'll get you out of there, just hang on. Don't cry, please,  
don't cry."

She never stops crying.

Her sobs echo from the cold stone walls of her prison, ringing out down the  
dark dank corridors and all through the basement we're trapped in.  
I'd do anything to stop them.  
Anything at all.

I just want her to be happy.

Ever since I found her, locked up in that tiny cell the 'Doctor' calls a room,  
I've just wanted her to be happy.

I slide down to the floor, my back resting against the damp walls as the tears  
began to fall. Dribbling down my cheek and soaking into my shirt, I wipe my one  
eye on my sleeve.

I wonder how she does it, I mean; crying is weird enough with one eye, let  
alone none.


	2. Chapter 2

She came back today, not the poor eyeless one, the other one, Ms Drevis.  
She told me I'd failed, that I hadn't worked hard enough to stop her daughter. It was  
her fault really, she should have warned me about my stupid eye!

Of course the girl would go running, any sane person would!  
I would definitely run from me. I mean, I see my face in my reflection every day, and I've seen enough horrors going on down here to get a little bit used to stuff like this.  
And I would still run from me.

I absolutely knew the wound would scare her. I knew it.

It scares me for God's sake!

Sorry, I mean psycho's.

Cause there's definitely no God down here, but there is one hell of a psycho.


	3. Chapter 3

I shouted too, of course, my voice thick with swallowed tears.

I know it's not manly to cry, but it's so hard not to sometimes.

It just builds up and builds up until you fall tumbling down.

She slapped me again, screaming I was worthless.  
I might well be worthless, but at least I have morals.  
There wasn't a single part of me that didn't want to slap her right back, but I could never hit a woman.

I suppose I have hit a few zombies and dolls on my basement wanderings, but they don't really count, right?


	4. Chapter 4

"You know what; you can find someone else to do your dirty work! I'm  
sick of being treated like an idiot!"

"You are an idiot!"

"Bit rich coming from the woman who cursed a whole bloody house and a load of innocents 'cause her husband found someone better!"

Slap.

"How dare you even- I ought to kill you right now!"

"Well go on then, I've got nothing else to live for!"

Her face turned red with anger, and she raised her hand as if to strike me  
again.

I closed my one eye, ready to take the hit, pleasantly surprised when it never came.

"You know, Dio, there are punishments worse than death," she sighed, playing  
with a blade in the palm of her hand, "and I still have hope for you yet."

She turned on her heels and left me there, in the room, all alone.

A hundred times more confused than I'd ever been before.


	5. Chapter 5

Eventually, after a few more hours (or was it days, I'm never sure of  
the time anymore), I stopped sulking.  
I stopped moping, and I stopped crying and  
I stopped wallowing and I started walking.  
And I walked and I walked and I kept  
on walking, closing my eye down certain corridors to avoid the steely glares of  
the dolls lining shelves along the walls.

It was down one of these corridors that I ran into her, and it was for that I  
was least prepared.

"Oof!"

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" A voice squeaked, gentle fingers slipping  
through mine and pulling me back to my feet, "I wasn't looking where I was  
going, I suppose I'm just getting used to having my eyes ba- it's you," the voice gasped quietly.  
I looked up from dusting myself off, stumbling backwards again as I saw the girl  
I was talking to.

"It's me?" I frowned, desperately trying to work out who I was talking to so as  
not to seem rude.

I recognise that voice so much, although I'm sure I've never heard it.

And that was when it hit me.

"It is you!" She cried; face lighting up in one of the most gorgeous smiles I  
had ever seen.

Oh, how I'd longed to see that smile


	6. Chapter 6

Long blonde hair was pulled into two elegant loose plaits, tied with neat little ribbons almost as blue as her eyes.

Oh, her eyes.

You could get lost in them, in their beautiful sky-blue sparkle. I think I must  
have for a moment, because I had to, rather embarrassingly, ask her to repeat herself  
after failing to listen the first time.

"I said, thank you," she smiled again, which I tried to return, "for being  
there. I could hear you, you know, when you thought I couldn't," she paused, a  
single, sad laugh ringing from the walls. "I tried to stop, every time you  
asked I tried, and sometimes I did. But then I'd hear you crying, and I'd start all over  
again."

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, finally taking my gaze away from those lovely, lovely  
eyes and staring helplessly at the floor. "I just felt so useless, and I  
searched and searched but I couldn't find a key to free you, or anything like  
that, and I tried so hard but I didn't think I could help and I just wanted you  
to be-"

"Hey, it's alright, you couldn't have done anything," she whispered, sending me  
into a sort of stunned silence as she weaved her arms around my side.

"What's your name?" She asked, in that same, caring whisper, breaking away but  
leaving one arm around my waist.

"Everybody calls me Dio, I don't know my real name. What about you?"  
I answered as best as I could, following it up with another question and slipping my arm  
around her slender waist too.

I hadn't felt such nice, near-human contact in years, and I wasn't about to  
surrender it now.

"I'm Emelie," she beamed, holding out her hand to shake my own, which I had to wipe  
on my shirt before giving her, "it's nice to finally meet you Dio."


	7. Chapter 7

Emelie was beautiful, inside and out.

I'd learned this not long after meeting her properly, she was so sweet and innocent, naive almost, in denial.  
It made me so angry that she was one of us.

Of all the people in the world, she deserved this least, I was sure.

The thing is, she made me feel something else too, but I'm still not quite sure what.

I mean, I have a… An idea… But it's unlikely.

In fact it's probably impossible, because whenever I've heard people talking about it, it doesn't feel like this.

It's meant to be sweet, and comforting, and easy.  
It's not supposed to make your insides squirm, it's not supposed to make your heart beat out of time.

Love isn't supposed to make you feel so scared.


	8. Chapter 8

I don't like love. Love hurts.

I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't function properly at all!

It's just so frustrating! I can't control it, it's like something else has taken over my body.

She's just so- so nice! She's lovely, she's caring, she's cute, she's beautiful, she's kind.  
She's everything I'm not, and I can't escape that.

Why would someone so perfect ever even think about someone like me?

I haven't spoken to her since we met, in fact you could say I've been avoiding her.

I know that makes me a bad person, but I'm just scared to talk to her, I mean what if I say something wrong?  
What if she ends up hating me?  
What if she already does?


	9. Chapter 9

I found her today. I felt bad for not talking, so I decided I'd just go for it.

She doesn't hate me.

In fact she rather likes me.  
She told me herself. It gave me butterflies. I told her I liked her too, and she smiled and kissed my cheek.

I don't know what that meant, but my face felt really hot afterwards, and she giggled as I blushed.

We got talking, properly this time, and she told me all of the things she could remember from her time before Doctor Drevis' experiments.  
She's fifteen, and her mum died when she was born. That's how she ended up here, in a way.  
She ran away from the orphanage she lived in at thirteen, nobody cared enough to look for her, but then she met Alfred. He sweet talked her into coming home, promising her shelter and a family. What a lie.

I tried talking about myself, but I can't remember much. We, well, she, guessed that I must be about her age, give or take, and I tried to recall how I'd ended up in the Drevis Mansion.

We talked a lot in a short space of time, until eventually we reached a topic neither of us really wanted to get to.

Eyes.


	10. Chapter 10

She asked about mine first, about the huge scar all down the right side of my face. I told her about the ice cream scoop, and the burning, and the poor excuse for a sedative the nurse had given me before it happened.  
I asked about hers, horrified that she too had experienced the ice cream scoop.  
Luckily, she'd managed to escape the burning.

There were no marks or scars or bruises on her delicate face. Just perfect, flawless skin, and perfect, shining eyes.

I asked who had fixed them for her, and she smiled and leant gently against my side. "Aya gave them to me. She helped me escape too. She's a very sweet girl, you know, nothing like her father."

"She is nice isn't she?" I returned Emelie's smile, although it was short lived.

I knew what I had to do.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, jumping to my feet, "I have to go, there's something important I have to do, but I promise, I'll find you again once it's over."

I kissed her quickly on the forehead, my lips lingering slightly as I whispered goodbye.

* * *

"Ms Drevis!" I yelled, my voice hoarse from all the talking, "Ms Drevis! Come out come out wherever you are!"  
"What?!" The woman snapped viciously, her ghostly form appearing at the end of one of the corridors, "what do you want, you insolent little cretin? Haven't you annoyed me enough?"

I always did hate those terrifying mood swings.

"I've come to talk about my job," I muttered, ducking to avoid another one of her slaps.

"I want to help Aya."


	11. Chapter 11

Ms Drevis smiled, it was quite a patronising one too, might I add. "Oh really?"  
"Really," I nodded, fidgeting nervously with the hem of my shirt.

"Well isn't that _lovely_," she beamed, although it was almost a sneer. "Might I ask what, or who, changed your mind?"

She knew, of course she did. She just liked making me feel uncomfortable.

"Aya. She's sweet, and innocent, and she doesn't deserve to end up like one of us," I replied, desperately skirting my way around Emelie. Not that I really needed to.

"Oh, of course," the woman drawled, waving away any more excuses for my sudden change in attitude with a lazy flick of the wrist, "I wouldn't think anything else of you. Now go on, you're not helping anyone by loitering here. Go and help my Aya."

I nodded again, blushing furiously as I heard her mutter "young love," when I turned to leave.


	12. Chapter 12

"Emelie?" I whispered, "you there?"

I cried out as a pair of hands covered my eyes, a pair of lips giggling in my ear.  
"Got you!" She grinned, twirling around until she stood in front of me.

So girly and playful, a thing of beauty in such an ugly world.

"You did," I laughed shakily, trying hard to catch my breath. "Scared the life out of me too."  
"Yeah, you're such a scaredy cat," she stuck out her tongue as I pulled a face, falling back into her natural smile as she continued, "where did you go earlier? I got scared after a while, one of the dolls told me I had pretty eyes and gave me the creepiest grin I have ever seen in my life."

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, annoyed at myself for leaving her. She was strong, sure, but some of the stuff around here would scare even the bravest of souls. "I had to go and see someone, I have a job to do."

"Is it saving the little girl? Is that your job?"  
I nodded, and she slipped her hand into mine. "Be careful. Look after yourself as well as her."  
I nodded again, squeezing her fingers reassuringly, "I will."

"Good, because I'd miss you so so much. I don't know how I'd cope without you."

I smiled, she smiled.  
We leaned in a little closer.

She closed her eyes, I closed my eyes.  
Our lips collided in a blur.


	13. Chapter 13

"I love you."  
"I love you too."  
"Forever?"  
"Forever."

My arms snaked around her, holding her as close to my body as physically possible. She nestled her head into the fabric of my shirt, slipping her hand inside so it rested against my bare chest. She left it there, on the spot above my heart, and I was sure she could feel it beating.  
It was pulsing at an alarming speed beneath my skin, although I certainly didn't care.

There was only one thing I cared about at that precise moment in time, and that was the beautiful blue-eyed girl I held in my arms.


	14. Chapter 14

"Be careful, Dio. I love you."

I nodded, kissing her head and whispering back "I love you too," before heading off in search of Aya.

Emelie bandaged up my eye so I'd be less frightening when I found her, using a strip of cloth torn from her shirt.  
She'd cleaned me up quite well actually, even managing to run a comb through my messy nest of hair. This had been undone in seconds of course, much to our joint amusement. My hair had a mind of its own, strands running off in completely different directions to the others.  
Emelie promised, or threatened, to cut it for me when we got out of there, but I'd gotten quite attached to it.

I guess you could say it'd grown on me...


	15. Chapter 15

I wandered the passage ways, searching half-heartedly for the little girl I was meant to be looking out for.  
The rest of my heart was somewhere else, with someone else, and my mind was completely elsewhere too by the time I'd managed I walk into Ogre. I've seen him around before, we know each other by name, but we rarely speak. Sharing a nod and nothing else.

"Are you looking for Aya?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," I mumbled, praying he couldn't see the blush flourish in my cheeks. I'd been in the middle of a rather nice daydream, and hadn't seen the man appear.  
"She's in there," he pointed over his shoulder, to a large wooden door. "Asleep too, I should add. Be gentle with her."  
He vanished again soon after that, back into the shadows to watch.  
I'd gathered that he was a watcher not long after meeting him. An observer, a spectator of life and death and everything in between.

I took a deep breath, allowing the scent of Emelie to flood my mind again.  
The sweet smell of her skin still lingered the scrap of her shirt she'd used to bandage my eye, and it comforted me.  
I mean, I didn't really need comforting at present, but it was nice to know that it was there.

I stumbled through the doorway, running up to the little girl just as she was beginning to wake.

"Fat-her...?"


	16. Chapter 16

"You've come to," I smiled. We'd practiced my smile, Emelie and me.  
She told me I had a beautiful smile no matter what, but I wanted to be sure I wouldn't frighten Aya at all.

Mission failure.

She gasped in shock scuttling backwards across the floor.  
I sighed inwardly, and tried another smile, "don't worry, I'm your ally."  
"Huh...?" She mumbled, having seemingly calmed down.  
"Sorry I gave you a fright earlier, my appearance must have surprised you." I kept my voice calm, and soft, liked we'd practiced after the smiles.  
The girl watched me through wide blue eyes. They were darker than Emelie's, and maybe I'm biased but they didn't have quite as much sparkle.

"That wound on your face..." Aya murmured, staring at my missing eye, "was it from my Father?"  
"Don't worry about that, that's in the past," I replied, not wanting to scare her with tales of squelchy eye removals and blood loss and burning hot metals.  
"Everyone has it out for Father..."  
I nodded grimly, instantly regretting it afterwards.  
"You hate him too, don't you?" She whispered, as though it was a statement, not a question.  
"Because of our hate for your Father, we can't be saved," I answered earnestly, easing my way around actually answering her question, "so I've come to save you. Let us get away from here together."

I took her by the hand, pulled her to her feet and ran towards the door, but she dug her heels into the ground, "I can't..."  
_"This wasn't part of the plan..."_  
"I have to save Father!" Aya exclaimed, dropping my hand and sprinting away in the other direction.  
"Don't go!" I called after her, panic rising in my voice. What could I do? Scare her into staying?

That seemed the best plan.

"Some of these corpses will try to bring you into death as well! If you stay here, they will take away your life."  
"But I can't leave Father!" She wailed, turning to run again.

I chased after her, grabbing her shoulders and drawing her face closer to mine.  
"Give up on your Father!" I barked, shaking her a little rougher than I'd intended to.

"No! I'm going to save him! Let go!" She was stubborn, and she put up a fight, but I wasn't giving up yet.  
"Listen to me!" I yelled, "she asked me to do this! She asked-"

I let go of the girl, staggering away in shock as I felt something dig into my side.  
I clawed feebly at the knife in my waist, fingers fumbling as the blood began to flow.

"Please..." I croaked, my voice barely a squeak in the now silent room.  
The room. It was fading fast.  
Aya had quickly fled not long after that, along with whoever had attacked me.

I was completely alone.  
And I was sure my time was up.

"Emelie... I want... Emelie..."

I tried to speak up, but all I could manage was an agonised whisper, "I... Love... Emelie..."


	17. Chapter 17

Crying. I can hear crying.

I can't move, but I can hear.  
I can think too, and feel.  
Just can't move.

It's her, I know it is.  
As animalistic as it may sound, I recognise her scent. That sweet, comforting smell that lingers on her skin and her clothes, that sweet, comforting smell that I loved so much.

I tried moving again, gaining hope as I almost managed to twitch my hand.

If only I could talk, then I could tell her it was ok. I could stop her from crying, I could hold her hand.

I could kiss her again.


	18. Chapter 18

"Em...Emelie... Please... Don't cry..." My lips felt cracked and my throat was dry, but I had finally managed to speak.

"Dio!?"

"Emelie..." My voice was still hoarse and croaky, it felt weird to use it again.

"Dio!"  
I can feel her, she's holding me. A few of her tears splatter onto my forehead, they're cool against my burning skin.  
"Em... Please..."

I did it, I finally did it. I managed to lift my hand.  
The rest fell into place after that. I stretched my legs, flexed my arms, opened my eye.  
"Dio..." She whispered, that same caring whisper I was so helplessly used to, that same gorgeous smile that set my heart racing at lightning speed, "Dio, Dio... I thought I'd lost you Dio... Don't do that to me again."

"No promises," I mustered a grin, finding her hand and kissing it. I slowly began taking in my new surroundings, as she explained the events that had happened.

"Maria, the nurse, she threw a knife at you. Dug right into your side too, but I think I've patched it up ok. I managed to get the blade out at least."

I moved my head to get a better look at the weapon, apologising profusely when I accidentally found myself with a mouthful of her skirt.  
It turns out she had rested my head on her lap when I was out cold.

I thought the pillow was weirdly comfortable.

"It's alright," she laughed, cheeks turning rosy, "I should have warned you."

She held out the knife, still crusted with my blood, and let me weigh it up in my hands. I gave her it back, clumsily trying to ease myself up onto my elbows.

"Can you help me get up please?"  
"Oh, no," she replied, a small frown tainting her porcelain doll lips, "I don't think that would be a very good idea."  
"Oh," I mumbled, feeling rather stupid, "sorry..."  
"It's ok, I know it must be frustrating," she whispered, lacing her fingers through mine and stroking my hair, "I just think you might need a bit more time to heal, a day or so, that's all."

I nodded weakly, feeling my eyelids grow heavy.  
"Are you tired?"  
I nodded again, stretching and yawning.

"Maybe you should try and get some sleep," she smiled, kissing my lips and rubbing her nose against mine, "goodnight Dio."

"Goodnight Emelie."


	19. Chapter 19

Emelie was right, it did take me another couple of days to heal properly.  
She said I was lucky that the knife didn't damage any vital organs, narrowly missing my stomach and liver.  
I still managed to eat though, even if Em did have to feed me like a baby.  
She always found this amusing to no end, especially when it came to giving me medicine.

She'd found some painkilling syrup or something in a jar on one of the shelves in the room we were holed up in, and whilst it did its job, it was one of the foulest tasting things in the world.

"You're so cute," she giggled, tickling me under the chin as I squirmed and pulled a face, swallowing the bitter liquid.

"You're cuter," I grinned, bracing myself for another mouthful.

That always made her smile, and she had a smile to make any gross medicine taking worthwhile.


	20. Chapter 20

Gradually, the wound in my side began to clear up, and I could move properly again.  
Emelie helped me to my feet, and even supported me when I took my first few shaky steps.

We'd already agreed that I should try again to stop Aya. Well, I say agreed. She wanted to come too but I wouldn't let her.  
If she got hurt, or worse, killed, well, I dread to think really.

I may not have known her all of my life, but I knew losing Emelie would destroy me.

Eventually she accepted this, that I wouldn't allow her to risk her own life to help, and so stuck to helping from the sidelines.

We'd practiced my lines, and how I'd talk the little girl into joining our side. We still weren't totally clear on the plan after that, but Ms Drevis had promised a reward for her daughter's safety, which one could only assume meant freedom.  
I'd have done anything for freedom.

We would have done anything for freedom.

We doubted the curse would last, but as part of the prize for saving Aya, we were sure her mother would let us live once more, properly this time.

We had it all planned out.

Once we could escape of the hellish dungeons we were trapped in, we were going to get married. We were going to move away, far far from the cursed house, to a smaller place in the woods. We'd find a way to make a living, I'd find a way to fix my eye.

We wouldn't need anyone else, we'd have each other. Maybe a child or two, if we could actually conceive.

Neither of us were really sure about that, what with the whole being undead thing, but I guess we could have tried.

We _c_ould have tried.


	21. Chapter 21

We spent the night wrapped in each others arms, sharing the blankets for one last time, our legs and arms entwined in a gentle embrace.

I could feel her heart beating in time with my own, the steady rise and fall of my chest with each breath never waking the girl who's head rested upon it.

I loved that girl, and she loved me.

And that was all that mattered.


	22. Chapter 22

The goodbye kiss lasted much longer that morning. It was sweeter too, tenderer, like we knew it would be the last.  
Even after we broke apart, our faces hovered only millimetres from each others.

"I love you, Emelie. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Oh Dio," she whispered in return, her soft rosy lips brushing lightly against my own, "I never want this to end. I love you too, my gorgeous little cyclops, more than you could ever imagine."

Cyclops was the nickname she'd blessed me with, as an endearing inside joke. I didn't even try to nickname her, knowing that nothing I picked could ever be as beautiful as her name in itself.

Emelie.  
Eager, strong little Emelie.  
Perfect, stunning, wonderful little Emelie.

_My_ perfect, stunning, wonderful little Emelie.


	23. Chapter 23

"Stay safe," was one command.  
"Save Aya," was another.

Two commands that couldn't be followed at once, as I would soon learn in the harshest of lessons.

Yes, they were two commands that could never ever be followed at once.

Aya was stubborn, and strong, and powered ahead during her quest to save her awful father, leaving a trail of destruction behind in mine to save her.

Angered members of the cursed community would shriek in dismay, as the girl continually evaded their attacks.

Attacks that would soon be directed at me.


	24. Chapter 24

It was all my fault. If I'd just been paying more attention, maybe I could have prevented the horror that happened next.

I didn't see the two zombies creeping up on my left.  
I didn't hear the sickening growls and the hot heavy breathing and the soft, wet footprints that dogged my own.  
I didn't mean to cry out so loudly as the rotting pairs of hands clasped my throat and scratched at my face.

I didn't see Emelie, watching silently from the shadows. I didn't see her jump out to try and fight the creatures off, and I didn't see her trying to save me.

The only thing I could see was the bloody hand clamping across her rose-petal lips, and the large ragged knife plunging deep into her chest.


	25. Chapter 25

The two beasts ran off after that, their psychotic, gurgling laughter hovering in the air behind them. A weak gasp escaped my beloved's lips, followed by an agonised cry as she crumpled into a heap on the floor.

"Emelie!"

I choked back a sob, dropping to my knees beside her. A stream of dark red seeped through her shirt, a bloody pool on the cold tile floor.

"Emelie, please, stay with me, I love you, remember all our plans? Emelie? Emelie?" I wailed frantically, gripping her hand and cradling her head on my lap.  
"I can't lose you Emelie!"

"D-Dio..." She murmured weakly, "Dio please, go. Go and save Aya. Leave me."

"No," I cried, "I don't want to! I want you to be ok! Here, let me help!" I fumbled with the buttons of my overshirt, ready to surrender it immediately in an attempt to patch up the wound. She grabbed my arm, pulling it away from the buttons and resting it over the injury, the warmth and the volume of the blood oozing between my fingers almost too much for me to handle.

"It's right above my heart, Dio, there's no hope for me now."


	26. Chapter 26

"No!" I yelled, tears streaming down my cheeks, "no no no! Emelie! Em! Stay with me! Remember the plan, Em? We were going to move away together! Get married, have kids! Em! Oh Emelie, imagine how wonderful it could be! Just hang on darling, please, just hang on!"

A small smile flickered on her beautiful features, fizzling out as she winced in pain, "Dio, there's nothing we can do. I'm going. Just, just promise me one thing?"  
I nodded, sniffing back a fresh load of tears, "anything, anything at all Emelie."  
"Stay with me a bit longer, let me feel your kiss one last time."

She feebly tried to lift herself up, slipping with a thud back down to the floor. I slid my arms beneath her back, supporting her as she had done to me all those times before.

We kissed with a passion I'd never been kissed with before, a fierce hunger, a need, that left us both lusting for more.  
But we couldn't have more.

Life had other plans.

"Emelie!" I wept, as her eyelids began to flutter, her breath catching in her throat, "Emelie please!"

"I wonder if I'll go to Heaven," she mused, never shedding a single tear herself, "I wonder if I'll be an angel."  
"You will Emelie, you'll be the prettiest angel Heaven's ever seen." I sniffed, kissing her hand and squeezing it tight.  
"You're so sweet," she breathed, shivering slightly in my arms. "I haven't got long now Dio, I can feel it."

Her fragile fingers caressed my cheek as the tears began to flow again, "Dio, I want you to promise me something else. Promise me you'll finish what we started. Promise me you'll save Aya. Then my death will be worthwhile, it'll mean something. It'll mean freedom for us all."

I nodded again, completely unable to talk, my body shaking with every violent sob.

Emelie smiled up at me, nuzzling her head against my neck, "I'll never stop loving you. Not even death will make me stop."

She tilted her head to look at me, gazing up into my honey eye with her own of the purest azure, "I'm afraid I haven't got long, love, but I've got one more thing to ask."

"Wh-what is it?"

"Don't cry Dio," she whispered, the last of her strength fading with her final request, "please, don't cry."


	27. Chapter 27

"No! Emelie! No no no! You can't leave me! I love you! Don't go!"

* * *

It took every single ounce of my strength to leave her after that, but not before I'd made sure her body was safe.  
I instantly stripped off my overshirt, wrapping it around her and hiding the stab wound beneath the thin fabric.

Her dainty face looked so peaceful, she could have almost been asleep.  
Long blonde waves had freed themselves from their ribbons, lying in a sea of golden silk around her head.

I stood back up, shaking slightly, and tripping my way back to the doorway.

I could feel the weight of the knife in my pocket (which I'd kept, just in case), but it was nothing compared to the weight of my loss in my heart.

I cast a final glance over my shoulder as I opened the door to leave, smiling back at my dear gorgeous Emelie.

An angel already, beautiful even in death.


	28. Chapter 28

Walking was hard. Breathing was harder. But I knew what I had to do.

Wiping away the remainder of my tears, I stumbled down one of the corridors, holding on to the walls for support.

Every part of me just wanted to break down and cry some more, but I had a job to do, under Emelie's orders, and I couldn't let grief stop me from fulfilling them.

Besides, as soon as this was over, I could grieve all I wanted.

In the afterlife, of course.

I pulled the matches from my pocket, striking one against the box and watching it burn all the way down to my fingertips.

Yes, I could grieve in the afterlife.


	29. Chapter 29

I ran into Ms Drevis again, who looked considerably forlorn for a woman who's wishes were just about to be fulfilled.  
I guess I must have looked pretty upset too, because she asked me what was wrong.

I'm not sure why I told her everything that had happened, but I did. Every single detail.

I'm not sure how I expected her to react, but it certainly wasn't in the way she did.

Pulling me into her arms, she kissed my gently on the crown, telling me it would all be okay.

I instantly struggled free, screaming at her that it wasn't, that it never would be, that my beautiful Emelie was gone and it was all her fault.

And she just took it.  
She never fought back, she never got mad. She just stood there, silently, and listened. Listened to me rant on about how I hated her and her stupid dysfunctional family, but how I would still save her daughter despite it.

"And that's all that matters isn't it?" I spat, finding myself pulled into her arms once more.  
"You're right, it is, because I'm just that selfish," she sighed, stroking my bedraggled blonde hair. "Dio, sweetheart-"  
"Don't call me sweetheart! There's only one person I want to call me sweetheart and she's dead! And it's your fault!"

"Please, just ca-"  
"No! No I won't calm down! The only girl, the only person, who's ever loved me is lying dead in a pool of blood, thanks to your stupid curse and the monsters it created!"

She took it all pretty well, if I'm honest. Occasionally even nodding if she thought I'd raised a particularly valid point.

Eventually, I tired myself out, almost losing my voice from yelling. She waited until I'd stopped, then stepped forwards, whispering something into my ear.  
She planted a final kiss on my forehead, then turned to leave.

"Wait!" I cried, reaching out to try and stop her. She turned to face me once more.  
"I-I don't... I didn't-"

"Love makes us do crazy things, Dio," she whispered, cutting me off with a sad smile, "the girl you loved just died because of my silly curse, you've every right to hate me."

She left me alone again after that, to get my head together and clean myself up a bit, before I left to save her daughter.


	30. Chapter 30

I pushed the large wooden door closed behind me, turning around just in time to see the 'doctor' about to chainsaw his beloved little girl and his stupid lab assistant to death.

His cold, manic laughter rang from every corner of the room, sending shivers down my already cold spine.

I killed the lights, for dramatic affect as well as to cause a distraction.

I bet Emelie would have loved that, she loved telling scary stories. She could have been an actress, the way she made them come to life.

I miss Emelie..

Sneaking up behind the man, I withdrew the weapon from my pocket.

He already had a few blades in him, I saw as I approached.  
It seems his 'lovely' Maria had turned on him too.

He never saw me creeping up to stand only inches behind him.

But I guarantee you he felt the knife digging into his back.


	31. Chapter 31

"I'm glad I made it!"  
I laughed without smile, watching as the doctor slumped to the floor, the knife burrowing further into his body as he landed on his back with a sickening thump.

The two girls, for now I looked closer Maria didn't look that old, stared on in shock. Aya looked downright terrified.

I just didn't care.

I led them back to the main entrance hall, still without talking, Aya stopping to scoop up her little white rabbit on the way.

She clutched it to her chest as she turned around to thank me, but I was one step ahead of the game.

"No need for thanks, I just did what she asked."  
"You mean mom?"

Aya, I would learn, was fond of questions.

I just wanted to get this over with.

"I said I was sorry for scaring you, I didn't intend to get injured. Believe that, at least."

God knows I didn't intend to get injured, just like Emelie didn't intend to die.

"I understand..." The little girl murmured, and for one short moment, it was almost like she did.  
But then I remembered my Em, and knew that the little girl before me could never understand, not in a million years.

"Mom wanted to protect me. Thank you, mom," she whispered, staring off into space.

I thought maybe she was finally finished, but she soon spoke up, "I want to see you again..."

"She wanted that too," I feigned a smile, deciding maybe if she could leave here slightly comforted, she'd leave here slightly quicker. "But I don't think she wanted to be seen as she is now."

"That's... Whatever mom looks like I'd..."

"It's alright, she's watching you from afar, so don't be sad," I tried to smile again, failing as I wondered if Emelie was watching me from afar, and the next thing I said was a message to me as well as little Aya. "If you are, it will only make her sad."

"Right."

"The curse will wear off soon," I lied, trying to speed things up, "so it's almost farewell."  
"You'll go away?"

Again with the damn questions.

"We're all alive now only because of the curse," I explained, receiving an "I see..." before I could finish telling her the rest of my plan.  
"But there's something I must do before I go," I added, glad I had an excuse to stop smiling, "and that is to set fire to this mansion."

She did not take that very well.

"Why would!? You can't do that! All those memories of being happy here!"

Happy? Here?

"It's not my intent to burn those," I frowned, completely unaware that they even existed, "but it's possible that someone could find traces of you father here. We can't let the same tragedy happen again."

"Is that what mom wanted to?"  
I nodded, even though I wasn't really sure. I hadn't exactly told Ms Drevis about this part of the plan.

"Okay," Aya nodded, "if that's what mom wanted, then do it."

"Mistress..." I was almost startled by the nurse's voice, I'd completely forgotten she was there until now.

"It's okay Maria, even if this is house is gone, my memories of father and mom won't go." Aya got there first, saving me from trying to make conversation with a woman who'd wanted me dead.

"Mistress..."  
I began to wonder if that was the only word she could say, when she piped up again.  
"Yes, that's right." She nodded in agreement, and I allowed myself a quick sigh of relief.

"Aya, there's one thing I ask of you," I began, deciding it was about time I got some favours of my own, "do not ever forget the people who were sacrificed here. None of us had any relatives. No one looked for us, no one remembered us. No one knew we existed at all. Our existence will be forgotten to the world," I choked back another sob as I thought of Emelie again.  
"But we did indeed live. So I don't want you to forget that. I want you to hold proof in your heart that we were here. That is the least you can do for us."

_"For Emelie,"_ I added silently, as it became Aya's turn to speak again.

"Yes... I'll never forget you."  
"Thank you."

A small, genuine smile formed on my lips, something I didn't think would be possible.

"Well, this is goodbye."  
I  
struck another of the match against the side of the box, tossing it carelessly to the floor.  
A flame soon bloomed, igniting the carpet I stood upon.

The two women were just about to leave, for real this time, when I remembered the blessing I had to give her.

Taking a few steps forwards, I leaned across, planting a soft kiss on Aya's forehead.

It felt wrong, kissing someone other than Emelie. It hurt.

I continued nevertheless, whispering the blessing that her mother had whispered to me.  
"Goodbye, Aya. May you be smiled upon."


	32. Chapter 32

"Now go!" I barked, running backwards as the flames began to spread.

The girl nodded, grabbing Maria's hand and heading for the doors.

I heard her mumble goodbye as the entrance closed behind her, too engrossed in my own thoughts to respond.

I had to get back to Emelie.

I had to.


	33. Chapter 33

Fighting my way through smoke and flame, I covered my face with my collar.  
It didn't really matter, of course, but I at least wanted to make it back to her side.

I found her again, in the same room I had left her in. The same position too, curled up in my shirt on the floor, hidden away from any more danger.

Pale and cold, and perfect and beautiful.

In one brief moment of madness I almost understood why Alfred made dolls, taking a shuddering breath to stop myself from crumbling to the floor.

It just didn't seem fair that something so lovely would be one day condemned to ash or dust.  
Hidden away, in a dark damp box in the ground, or spending forever trapped in a cold clay jar tucked away on the back of somebody's shelf.

It just wasn't fair.

The fire hadn't quite reached our little room yet, so I scooped her body up bridal style, carrying her towards the doorway.

I wanted this to be quick.

Pushing open the door, I was instantly greeted by searing heat and orange flame.

It seemed that the house was on my side in this, either that or Ms Drevis had cottoned on and given me a helping hand.

I lowered Emelie to the floor in the most gentle way I could, as the flames engulfed the room around us.  
Curling up beside her, pulling my shirt over us both, I wrapped my arms around her, and carefully eased hers around me.

I rested my forehead against hers, closing my eyes and taking a deep, shuddering breath.

"Goodbye, my darling Emelie," I whispered, a single tear trickling down my cheek as I kissed her nose for the very last time.

"Goodnight, my beautiful angel."

* * *

**~Fini~**

**I'm not going to lie, I did get a bit teary eyed writing this, but hey, I'm just a wuss.**

**I really hope you enjoyed it, and that the ending was alright, but there's one more question to ask:**

**Would you like a sequel?**

**I've a few ideas, but I'm just not sure.. I suppose we'll see, in the future :)**

**Thank you for reading, best regards,**

**~Nellen**  
**xx**


End file.
